HOWL!
Wolf densities along the Colville River corridor are higher than anywhere along Alaska’s northern coastal plain.

Spanning nearly 23 million acres across the western section of Alaska’s North Slope, the National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska (Reserve) is the largest single unit of public land in the nation. The Alaska Native communities that live near the Reserve have maintained a subsistence lifestyle for thousands of years based on the Reserve’s living resources. The educational materials we have developed will introduce you and your students to Alaska’s hidden gem, the Reserve.

The name National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska is unfortunate because it fails to invoke the true images of the Reserve, which include wilderness quality lands and abundant wildlife. The Reserve contains some of our nation’s most treasured natural resources, plus millions of acres of critical habitat for migratory birds, grizzly bears, caribou, polar bears, walrus, wolves, whales and many more. Download Introducing the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (PDF) here.

Watch this short video to visit and learn about the Reserve:

RESERVE WILDLIFE

A few of the birds that migrate to the Reserve.

From Teshekpuk Lake to Kasegaluk Lagoon to the Colville River, the unique ecosystems contained within the Reserve provide feeding and migration areas to whales, calving areas to caribou, denning and feeding areas for polar bears, nesting areas for countless bird species, haul-out areas for walrus and spotted seals, and streams for salmon.

The Reserve is one of the most important areas in North America for migratory birds, many of which travel there to nest and raise their young. A large number of these also travel through the lower 48 states, possibly even your own backyard. Within the Reserve, the area around the Colville River provides homes to peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons and golden eagles.

The Teshekpuk Lake area on the North Slope of Alaska provides prime habitat for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, shorebirds and loons, including threatened species such as the spectacled eider. The Reserve is also home to the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, one of the largest caribou herds in the world. With an estimated population near 400,000, these beautiful animals spend the summer months in the Reserve where they birth their young before heading south over the Brooks Range to their winter grounds.

RESERVE ACTIVITIES

Stained Glass Art – “Stained glass” art is a fun art project that highlights many animals found in the Reserve and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This art project was produced specifically for elementary students, but has proved to be of interest to all ages. We’ve had preschoolers, elementary students, teenagers and adults all participating with focused concentration, and the results are always great. There are 14 different species for artists to choose from and learn about. Print the designs on overhead sheets. Have students color the sheets with permanent markers. Then place crumpled aluminum foil behind the sheets to create the appearance of a stained glass window. View and download the complete set.

Beluga Migration” activity: This National Geographic lesson asks students to think about how beluga whales survive in icy Arctic and subarctic waters and why they sometimes need to migrate. Students will view and sketch photographs of ice at different stages of thickness, look at pictures of belugas, and discuss how belugas’ bodies are adapted to life in the ice. They will conclude by writing and illustrating paragraphs about how belugas survive in the ice and where the whales go when the ice becomes too thick.

Alaska Wilderness League galvanizes support to secure vital policies that protect and defend America’s last great wild public lands and waters. Visit the website of our sister organization Alaska Wilderness Action to learn more about its legislative and political advocacy to protect Alaska’s wild places.